THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 23, 1984 15
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Roommates Herman Boraks and Sol Lieberoff make plans for their next group outing.
here) ensured not only a soothing, cul-
tured atmosphere, but also a common
subject on which to build a friendship.
The $750-per-month fee for resi-
dents is all-inclusive, Baum said. The
assessment covers rent, heat, electric-
ity, telephone, food, housekeeping
services, laundry service and social
work services such as counseling. The
fee is based on ability to pay and many
residents receive subsidies, Baum
said. Social Security payments may be
applied towards the cost and, in some
cases, children contribute towards
their parents' expenses.
"We don't take their last penny,"
the project coordinator said. "We make
sure they have enough left to lead a
dignified lifestyle." No resident, ac-
cording to Baum, has to forego a trip to
the barber shop or buying a gift.
A secure place to hang one's coat
and hat isn't the only advantage of life
in the Group Apartments. Baum and
her co-workers have put together a so-
cial schedule for residents that might
make Jackie Onassis dizzy. Planned
activities range from the traditional,
such as a senior adult programs at the
Jewish Community Center, to the
offbeat, like a recent trip to a farm.
There are lunch outings, visits to the
library, movies and monthly parties.
" The activities are paid for by the
residents and are optional. The wide
variety enables the Group Apartment
residents to pick and choose. For some,
the things that unfortunately go
hand-in-hand with being elderly prove
to be a barrier.
"There are certain activities I
can't take part in because I have my
wheelchair," said Mildred Weber, one
of Ethel Feldman's roommates. "There
is always someone around to help me,
but sometimes I feel that it is a little
too much to tackle."
But don't dare "feel sorry for me,"
Weber cautions. "Not with an apart-
ment like this to stay in."
There is one obligatory activity:
the weekly meeting between residents
and JFS staffers to work out problems
and plan social events. "The planned
activities and the parties are designed
to get the residents involved and in-
teracting with themselves and the
staff," according to Baum, who added
that the 15 tenants are given plenty of
latitude with which to create their own
social life, within the group, or with
outsiders.
Family members are also
encouraged to take an active role in a
resident's life. It is this kind of effort
that prevents the program from be-
coming a "dumping ground" for the el-
derly.
- Minnie Lipchinsky, who shares
an apartment with Feldman and
There was at least a 25
percent decrease in aliyah
from the free world last
year but Aron hopes to
improve the situation.
Weber, is frequently accompanied on
various Group Apartments outings by
her daugher. "Not only is it nice for me
to have her around, but here, in a set-
ting like this, it is much nicer for her to
come and visit with me," Lipchinsky
said, intimating that were she in a
different facility, such as a nursing
home, it might not be quite as enjoy-
able for relatives to visit.
Lieberoff, meanwhile, who has a
number of relatives in the area, points
out that a nephew usually stops by and
takes both he and his roommate to the
bank and on other errands.
Russian immigrant women are
employed as housekeepers for the ten-
ants, who currently range in age from
65 to 90 and aren't always able to per-
form the chores necessary to maintain
the apartment. However, by no means
are the residents lazy when it comes to
housework. In fact, having the house-
keepers around often serves as an in-
centive for some of the residents since
they don't have to do the whole job
themselves.
She does the washing," Lieberoff
says of his housekeeper of three years,
Rochelle. But I'm helpful around the
house myself. Weekends (when
Rochelle is off), I'm the one that takes
care of the dishwasher."
There are a couple of reasons why
Baum hires Russian emigres exclu-
sively for the housekeeper positions.
First, their attitudes toward the el-
derly are different from those of
native-born Americans. "They believe
old people shouldn't be in nursing
homes."
Secondly, Baum said, the women,
some of whom were professionals in
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